Harm's Daughter
by carolinaheart
Summary: This story is about a daughter Harm never knew and how her presence changes the relationship between Harm and Mac for the better. Finally updated. Chapter 5 up.
1. Nichole H Rabb

Disclaimer: I Don't Own JAG

Story takes place after Psychic Warrior during season 5 everything after that is ignored.

Nichole Rabb arrived home from a school field hockey game on Saturday afternoon. She had gotten a ride home from her friend's mom. Nich knew that her mom was not going to be at the game because she had to work, but Nich was used to it. Her dad had no idea that she existed so Nich and her mom always made do with each other, in Nich's eyes it was all she needed.

Nich opened the door to the still empty house and headed to her room upstairs. She was putting her uniform in the dirty clothes hamper when the phone rang. The fourteen- year old jumped to answer the phone, hoping that it was her mom asking if she wanted Chinese or pizza. However, that call was the one that changed Nich's life.

Nich placed the phone up to her ear, "Hello?"

"Yes, is this Nichole Rabb?" The voice on the other line said.

"Yeah, what can I do for you?" Nich asked.

"My name is Nurse Lane. Your mother Melissa Reid was brought into the hospital today. Do you have a way of getting here?" The nurse asked.

"No I don't, is she okay?" Nich asked.

"We will send over an officer to come get you." The woman then hung up the phone.

Less than ten minuets later Nich was sitting in a police car with an officer on her way to the hospital. When she got there, the officer led Nich to her mother's room. Slowly Nich walked into the room to see her mother hooked up to a ventilator and IVs in both of her arms.

Nich stared at the frail woman that was a fragment of what her mother used to be. The doctor walked in the room behind her. "Are you her daughter?" The doctor asked.

Nich turned around and faced the doctor, "yeah, what happened?"

"My name is Doctor Kendil. Your mother was in a really bad car accident about two hours ago. We don't know if she'll make it." The doctor said truthfully. Nichole turned back around and looked at her mother. _What will I do with out her, where will I go?_ Nichole asked herself.

"Can I stay here?" She asked the doctor.

"Do you have anyone to call to stay with a relative or something?" The doctor asked.

"No not that I know of." Nichole stated.

"You can stay here for now. I'll figure something out." With that the Doctor walked out of the room.

Later that evening the doctor had someone look up Nichole's birth certificate to see if they could contact anyone. They found the name of Nichole's father a Harmon Rabb JR. Dr. Kendil continued to look through the hospitals records to see if they had a contact number for Mr. Rabb, instead she found the number of his mother, Patricia Burnett. Dr. Kendil dialed the number.

The phone rang twice before Trish picked it up, "Hello."

"Hi is this Patricia Burnett?" the voice asked.

"Yes it is."

"My name is Dr. Kendil. Is your son Harmon Rabb JR." Dr. Kendil asked.

"Yes he is. Is there something wrong with him?"

"No ma'am. We have his daughter Nichole Rabb here at the hospital. Her mother is going to die soon and the child has no where to go."

Trish was shocked, Harm didn't have any children. "I'm sorry but Harm doesn't have a daughter."

"Well, on Nichole's birth certificate he is listed as the father. The girl is fourteen years old."

"What is the name of her mother?" Trish asked. She had remembered every relationship her son had been in.

"Melissa Reid," the doctor said.

Trish remembered Melissa Reid. The math seemed correct. Melissa and Harm had dated for a while when he had spent some time at home. The two broke up because they realized that they were not right for each other. What Trish remembered most about the young woman was her wavy red hair. "Oh, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Doctor Kendil went back up to the hospital room where Melissa Reid laid close to death, her daughter sitting next to her. "Nichole," Dr. Kendil said, breaking the silence that was in the room. Nichole turned around and looked at the doctor with her deep blue eyes. "I was able to get in contact with your father's mother. She said she would be here as soon as she could."

"But my father doesn't know about me, that's what my mom said." Nich told the doctor.

"Neither did your grandmother, but she believed me when I told her." Dr. Kendil said. He left the girl alone in the room with her mother.

Later that night, before Trish got to the hospital, Melissa Reid passed away. Nichole waited in the waiting room for her grandmother to come and pick her up.

Patricia walked into the waiting room and looked around. She then headed to the desk to ask about her grand daughter. However, before she got to the desk she spotted a young girl with red hair and blue eyes staring into space. Trish stared at the girl for a little while and noted how much she looked like her mother, and yet how much she still looked like her father. Trish knew that the child was her grand daughter.

Trish walked up to the girl and sat down next to her. "You must be Nichole." Trish stated.

The girl broke out of her trance and stared at the older woman who had sat down next to her.

"Yeah, that's me Nichole Rabb." Nich replied.

"My name is Patricia Burnett, but you can call me Trish."

Nich looked the woman over and took in her features. She seemed nice enough. _So this is my grandmother._ Nich thought. The doctor had told her the name of the woman he had called to come and get her from the hospital.

"You look so much like Lissa, but you have your father's eyes." Trish said.

"I hear that a lot, except for the eyes part." Nich said without much feeling.

"I'll let Dr. Kendil know that I am here and that I'll take you home with me. Then I will give Harm a call. He will be surprised to say the least." Trish said as she got up and went in search of Dr. Kendil.


	2. A Daughter?

AN: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS 

Nichole looked around the large house. It was different from her own home that she shared with her mother. _These people must be very rich._ Nich thought to herself as she walked into the living room. She walked from picture frame to picture frame and stopped in front of one that held a picture of her grandmother and a man she assumed was her father. Nich looked into the man's eyes and saw her own being reflected back at her. _No wonder why mom always said I had his eyes. I always thought she was kidding. _ Nich thought as she continued to look at the pictures.

Trish watched her granddaughter look around the room and had seen her stop in front of a picture of her and Harm. "Would you like to see which room you'll be staying in until I can call Harm and see what we are going to do?" Trish asked as she lightly touched the young girls back.

"Sure." Nich said. She followed Trish up the stairs and into a bedroom decorated in a light blue. The curtains were the color of the sky and matched the comforter on the bed well. On the bedside table there was a phone and an electric clock. On the other bedside table there was a picture of Harm in his dress whites after he had graduated from the Academy.

"There's a TV over there and the remote is on the night stand. Do you want pizza or something or have you already eaten?" Trish asked.

"No, I'm not that hungry." Nich said as she sat down on the king sized bed.

"Okay. I need to call Harm. I'll leave you alone for now." Trish walked out of the room closing the door behind her.

Nich lay down across the bed and thought about what had just happened. She felt alone, like she had no one in the world that cared about her. However, she knew that was not true because this woman, her grandmother, cared about her or else Trish would not have taken the time to come to the hospital and pick her up. _But what about my dad? Does he care about me? Does he have kids already? Will I be a burden to him? Would he even want me? _Nich thought. Slowly, tears began to fall onto the light blue comforter of the bed.

Harm was sleeping in bed when the phone rang late that night. "Hello?" _Who in their right mind would be calling me at this time of night?_ Harm thought to himself as he mumbled into the phone.

"Harm sweetie?" Trish stated unsurely trying to make sure that her son was awake before she continued.

"Hi mom. What's so important that you called me so late at night?" Harm asked as he rolled onto his side.

"Harm, do you remember Melissa Reid? You dated her for a little while."

"Yeah mom I do." Harm said having no idea where the conversation was going.

"She died earlier today." Trish said.

"Oh, when's the funeral." Harm asked trying to mentally check his schedule to see if he would be able to make it.

"It's Friday."

"I don't think I'll be able to make it I'm making opening statements for a major case that day. Will you give my regards to her family?" Harm said nonchalantly and unprepared for what his mother was about to say next.

"Harm, there's more to this than the fact that your old girlfriend died." There was silence between the mother and son for a minuet. "Melissa left a daughter behind, a fourteen year old daughter with your blue eyes to be exact Harm." Silence again entered their conversation. "She's staying with me for tonight. After the funeral Friday, we are going to catch a plane to DC." Trish said hoping her son was not about to have a heart attack.

"What!" Harm nearly yelled into the phone. He jumped out of bed and began to pace the room. He could not believe that he had a daughter. Nor could he believe that Melissa would have kept that information from him. "I have a daughter? I have a daughter. What's her name?"

"Nichole Hannah Rabb.," his mother replied pleased that he had calmed down a little.

"I'm taking the next flight out to California," Harm said as he began to pack a bag.

"No you won't. Harm you have a major case that you just said your doing opening statements for on Friday. I will not let you miss that. Friday is two days away and I will see you on Saturday. Until then Harm please find a bigger place." Trish told her son knowing that his studio apartment would not be big enough for a grown man and his teenage daughter.

"Mom…"

"I will hear no more of it now good night Harm. I will take good care of Nich. I did raise you."

Harm smiled at his mother's statement. "Good night mom,"

"Goodnight," Trish hung up the phone and went to go check on Nich. When she got up the stairs and into the room, she saw that Nich had fallen fast asleep in her clothes. She went over to the bed and pulled the girls shoes off. She then found a throw cover to put on top of Nich so that she would not get cold when the air conditioner came on. _I'll have to take her by her house tomorrow to get her things. That is going to be hard on her. _Trish thought as she turned out the light in the room and closed the door.

I THINK NEXT CHAPTER WILL HAVE HARM MAC IN IT A LITTLE NOT REALLY SURE PLEASE R&R.


	3. They do say Home Is Where The Heart Is

THANKS FOR REVIEWS.

Harm paced the room after his phone call with his mother had ended. _Why didn't Melissa tell me? Did she think that I would not want to be apart of our child's life? Or was it because she felt I was too immature? _Harm thought to himself as he walked from one end of his apartment to the other. He needed someone to talk to. Harm went back into his room and put on a pair of Navy sweatpants and a t-shirt. Turning out the lights of his apartment, Harm closed and locked the door. Instead of taking the elevator he took the stairs—he was too impatient to wait for the elevator.

When Harm got into his car, he had no idea where he was going, so he just drove. He ended up at a park in Georgetown where he and Mac occasionally jogged, when they were on each other's good side. He looked out at the deserted park and imagined what it would have been like if he had been in his daughter's life. If he had been able to watch her take her first steps, or to push her on the swings in a park. After sitting in his car contemplating all the what ifs for an hour, Harm once again started his car. This time with the intention of heading home, however he found himself outside of Mac's apartment building (well they do say home is where the heart is).

Harm got out of the car and made his way up to Mac's apartment. He stood in front of the door for a minuet considering all the ways the situation could go wrong. _Well, let's see, there are a million ways Mac will try to kill me once I interrupt her sleep. _Harm thought as he lifted his hand to knock on the door.

Inside the apartment Mac was sleeping soundly when she heard the soft knock on her apartment door. _Whoever the hell that is, is going to wish they had stayed far away from my apartment. They will be facing the wrath of an angry marine, and most likely will not be able to see the light of day because of their two swollen black eyes. _Mac said as she got out of the bed and put a robe on. Walking to the door, she ran her hand through her hair hoping that whoever it was would leave very soon. When she opened the door she was surprised to see a disheveled Harmon Rabb at her door.

"Harm, what are you doing here so late?" Mac asked her friend and confidant.

"Hey Mac, I needed to talk to someone, and you were the only person I could think of that would willingly talk to me at this hour with out killing me." Harm said tacking the last part on as a little joke.

Mac raised her eyebrow before she stepped out of the doorway, "And you thought that would be me?" Mac asked in amusement. "Come in."

Harm walked into the beige colored apartment and headed for the couch making himself at home. Mac could tell that something was bothering him, but she could not figure out what. She so desperately wanted to know what would cause a strong and sometimes arrogant lawyer to become someone so disheveled.

"Harm what's up?" Mac asked as she sat down next to him on her couch.

Harm looked at her sideways and smiled; _whoever marries her will be one lucky man,_ Harm thought. _You've just got to love the way she focuses on you when you come to her for help._

"My mother called me about an hour ago." Harm told her.

"Is everything all right Harm?"

"An old friend of mine died. We were friends for a while, then we dated and then we broke up." Harm explained.

"Oh, Harm I'm so sorry," Mac said not really knowing what to say.

"That's not all. Apparently, when we broke up she was pregnant and she decided not to tell me." Harm looked sideways trying to gage Mac's reaction. She sat there with calm and still façade while all the while on the inside she was screaming. "Mac, I'm the father of a fourteen year old girl. I don't know anything about being a father especially being a father to a girl."

"Harm, calm down and do not panic. Everything will be fine. It will all work out." Mac said trying to comfort a man coming to terms with being an instant father.

"Mac, what am I going to do?" Harm asked hoping that Mac had an answer (after all she is of the female species).

"First of all, you need a new apartment, or you could get a house because that small home of yours worked well for just you but that will not work well for a teenage girl. Trust me; she is going to want her privacy." Mac told him.

"You sound like my mother," Harm smiled as he looked her in the eye.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Mac asked.

"Good, she is one of the few women I love with all my heart." Harm told her gazing intently into her eyes.

Unable to keep eye contact Mac turned away. "When is she coming?" Mac asked looking down into her hands.

"Friday, after the funeral. I told my mom that I would go to get her, but she refused to allow me to miss work." Harm told her following Mac's lead of going back to the original subject.

"Okay then. You will also have to find a school. Do you know what she's interested in?" Mac asked.

"No, I haven't talked to her." Harm said regretting that he had not asked his mom if he could speak with his daughter.

"Well, you might want to start looking into the public school system to see how good they are. Also check out a few private schools, keep your options open." Mac said.

"Thanks Mac, I better let you get some sleep considering you have to be in court tomorrow." Harm said as he got up to leave.

Mac followed him to the door. Before Harm walked over the threshold and out into the hall, Mac said "Harm you never told me her name."

Harm looked back at his friend and smiled, "It's Nichole, Nichole Hannah Rabb."

Mac smiled, "Good-night Harm."

"Good-night Sarah." Harm closed the door to Mac's apartment and walked out to his car. He was grateful to have a friend like Sarah Mackenzie. He got in and drove back to his apartment and went to bed hoping to get at least another two hours of sleep before he had to be at work in the morning. _Tomorrow I'll have to tell the Admiral._ Harm thought as he turned the light off and fell asleep.

OKAY THERE WE GO. DON'T EXPECT THE NEXT CHAPTER TO COME AS SOON AS THIS ONE DID. THIS WEEK IS HOMECOMING AT SCHOOL. BEING IN SPORTS MED. I HAVE TO GO TO SOME OF THE GAMES SO, I WON"T BE ABLE TO GET TO MY COMPUTER. I HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE THIS IS GOING. BUT ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE UP FOR CONSIDERATION.THAT DOES NOT MEAN I"LL USE THEM ALL. OH PLEASE PRESS THAT LITTLE BUTTON THAT SAYS REVIEW.


	4. Everything Happens for a Reason

SORRY HAVEN"T UPDATED IN AWHILE. MY COMPUTER IS FINALLY FIXED.

Nich woke up the next morning expecting to be home in her own bed, hoping the events of the night before was just a terrible nightmare. However, when she saw the light blue interior of the room she knew that everything was real. She, at the age of fourteen, had lost her mother and was currently staying with the complete stranger that was her grandmother.

Nich stretched her long legs before she got out of the bed. When she looked down, she realized that she had fallen asleep in the clothes she had worn the day before. Stepping out of the bed, she wondered what her father would be like. If he were half as caring as his mother she would be satisfied.

As she exited the room, Nich ran into a man with graying hair. "I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay. You must be Nichole, I'm Frank Trish's husband. I'm very sorry to hear about your mother. She was a wonderful woman." Frank told the young girl.

At that moment Nich began to cry. The fact that Frank had used the word _was_ made the situation more real. It hurt Nich to think that she would never see her mother again, or have her yell at her to clean the kitchen. She missed everything about her mother and she had not even been gone for twenty-four hours.

"I'm very sorry if I upset you Nich, here," Frank said as he handed her a handkerchief.

Nich dried her eyes and thanked Frank.

"If you're hungry there are muffins in the kitchen. I'll take you there if you want." Frank said guiding Nich to the stairs.

"Thank-you." Nich and Frank walked down to the kitchen in search of the muffins. Nich took a seat at the glass table in the kitchen after she had retrieved a pumpkin muffin from the straw basket that had been sitting on the counter.

A few minuets after she had started to eat her muffin Frank started to walk out the door, "I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer, but I have to go to work. Don't worry about anything Nich; it will all turn out okay. I know you don't want to hear this but you need to, everything happens for a reason. Things happen and we don't know why, but eventually everything gets better." Frank said before he had completely walked out the door.

Nich sat and contemplated what Frank had told her, and she had come to the conclusion that there was no good reason for her mother to be taken from her. No reason at all. As she sat playing with the leftover crumbs from the muffin, Trish walked in.

"Good morning Nich." Trish said as she sat down next to her granddaughter.

"Morning," Nich mumbled as she flicked a crumb across the table.

"I talked to Harm last night."

"Oh,"

"I told him that on Saturday after the funeral, we would take a flight to D.C. He wanted to come but I told him not to. I think it will be best for you if you meet him when he is more calm and rational. He needs time to adjust and find a more suitable place for the two of you to live." Trish said.

Nich continued to play with the crumbs on the table.

"If you are ready, I can take you to your house to pack and get your things. I know it will be hard for you, but you are going to have to do it soon." Trish told her.

"I'm ready now," Nich said looking up at Trish.

"Okay then, let me go get my purse and then we can go." Trish got up from the table to get her keys and returned a few minuets later. Nich and Trish walked out the door and to the car.

When they arrived at the house, Nich hesitated before she got out of the car. She took a deep breath and opened the door and stepped out. _The last time I arrived home I expected mom to be coming home soon so that we could order dinner. _Nich looked around and saw that everything looked the same even though it did not feel the same.

"Do you want me to wait here or should I come in with you?" Trish asked.

"I might take a little while to choose what I want to bring with me. You can come in if you want to." Nich said as she took out her house key and unlocked the door. It was a reflex unlocking the door. _Funny,_ she thought, _I don't even remember locking the door when the officer came and I went to the hospital._

Nich entered the house and made her way upstairs to her room. Everything was how she left it. Nothing was out of its place. She looked at the dirty clothes hamper—it held all of her best clothes. She turned around about to go find Trish when she saw that she was standing in the doorway. "Can I wash my clothes at your house?"

"Sure, it's fine with me. Do you need any help?"

"Yes. I'm not sure if everything will fit in my suitcase." Nich said as she looked in her closet.

"If you want, we can ship it to Harm so it will be there when you get there." Trish suggested.

"Okay," said Nich as she began to pull clothes out of her drawers to put into her suitcase. When she was finished Trish and Nich took it out to the car.

"Wait a sec I left some things." Nich said as she ran back into the house. She grabbed her field hockey stick and the picture of her and her mom that sat on her bedside table. She came back out of the house and locked the door. With one last look at her home, she got into the car and the two of them drove off.

"What about the other stuff in my home, what will happen to it?" Nich asked.

"It all depends on what her will says. If it all goes to you then I'll put it in storage for you. The lawyer called yesterday and said that he will read it after the funeral on Friday, since you are flying out on Saturday."

Nich nodded her head and watched the trees pass by through the window. _It's strange how everything keeps going when the world should have stopped. My mother died and here I am riding in a car watching the trees still standing erect when they should be tumbling down, just like my world. _Nich thought.


	5. Telling The Admiral

Harm sat at his desk working on files and getting nowhere. He had already written the opening statements for the trial on Friday. Seeing as he had nothing else to do Harm had decided to work on other paperwork that he had let stack up on his desk.

When Mac came into his office, she saw Harm starring at an open file and tapping the pen on the desk. "Hey there sailor, how are you holding up?" She asked concerned.

"About as well as can be expected. She will be here in three days Mac, three days. I have no idea what to do? I have a teenage daughter, Mac, and that scares the hell out of me." Harm admitted to his best friend.

Mac had closed the door and sat down in one of the chairs in front of Harm's desk. "Have you done any of the things I suggested last night?"

"Not really, I don't know where to start, with finding a house, or finding a school."

"I think a house would be the logical step Harm then look at schools. Have you talked to the Admiral yet?" Mac said.

"No, not yet, but I will as soon as I finish up this paper work from the Hernandez case." Harm said looking down into the open file folder in front of him.

"You're getting no where Harm. Why don't you go and tell him now." Mac suggested.

"Okay," said Harm as he stood up closing the file. "Thanks Mac," He walked out of the door towards Tiner's desk. Mac watched him as she walked back to her own office.

"Tiner, I need to see the Admiral is he free right now?" Harm asked.

"Yes sir, let me tell him you are coming." Tiner picked up the phone and notified the Admiral of Harm's request.

"He said to come in, sir" Tiner told the senior officer.

Harm opened the door and stepped in. After closing the door behind him, Harm stood at attention in front of the Admiral's desk.

"At ease, Commander. What is it that you need to see me about?" The Admiral asked.

"Well sir, you should know that last night I received a call from my mother telling me that an old friend died."

"And, you want time off to go to the funeral?"

"No sir, the young woman that died had a fourteen year old daughter. I found out that the teenager is my daughter, and now I am the only person she has." Harm said to the older fatherly Admiral that sat in front of him.

The Admiral's face had not changed after Harm had given him the news. He sat in his chair thinking over the situation and what he, as Harm's commanding officer, could do to aid the younger man in his time of need and adjustment. "Commander, you should take the next few days off to adjust and get ready for your daughter's arrival."

"Sir what about the case I'm working on. Opening statements are Friday?" Harm questioned.

"Lt. Roberts is a very good lawyer and can handle this case on his own. Now I suggest you inform your co council of the change in plans. You have tomorrow off." The Admiral explained.

"Thank-you sir," Harm said.

"Dismissed," the Admiral said allowing Harm to leave his office.

Harm turned around and left the office and headed to his own. The Admiral watched the retreating form of the Commander. He understood what the younger man was going through at the moment and hoped everything would turn out well for the young man that was like a son to him.

AN: SORRY THIS ONE IS SHORT HOPEFULLY NEXT ONE WILL BE LONGER.


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